ClimateYou

Australia experts look to climate ‘time machine’

climateyou — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:58:06 +0000

Australian scientists have constructed an ecological time machine to mimic future climate conditions by subjecting an entire ecosystem to higher levels of CO2. It is the world’s largest outdoor CO2 trial and the only one using mature woodland. The machine consists of six arrays of steel frames nine stories high designed to emit CO2 in a computer-controlled environment. The scientists will then observe how the ecosystem responds to the rising atmospheric CO2 concentration. This groundbreaking experiment has taken researchers a year to design and is intended last for a full decade. The scientists believe that this research will give governments more information about how to plan for future challenges related to climate change and help transform climate change research in Australia, which has one of the highest per capita GHG emissions rates in the developed world.

Gary Monitz

Airlines ‘are conforming’ with EU rules on emissions

climateyou — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:52:20 +0000

In the face of much international resistance, many expected the European Union (EU) to withdraw its plans to include emissions from aviation activities within its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). This proposal, known as the Aviation Directive, has amended the ETS to include emissions not only from European airlines, but any airline that operates flights into or out of EU airspace. The program only officially started January 1, 2012, but the EU instructed airlines to participate in a practice version, by reporting their total amount of CO2 emissions. Although the Aviation Directive has received several challenges towards the legality of their unilateral carbon tax imposition, the BBC is reporting that the majority of airlines have chosen to comply. With the exception of a few Chinese and Indian airlines, there is near full participation, which is a good sign for the future of the Directive. However, the airlines will not be asked to surrender allowances for their emissions until April of 2013. Some have predicted that if the EU remains insistent on collecting allowances from foreign carriers that a global trade war might ensue. The US and China have both instructed their airlines not to cooperate with the EU-ETS. However, if aviation can be successfully included within the ETS, it may have an added effect of rekindling talks of a global climate agreement.

Ricky Ghoshroy

Global warming began in oceans 135 years ago, suggests study

climateyou — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:59:42 +0000

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

New research suggests that the correct answer is (a), twice as long as previously believed. Back in 1872-1876 the HMS Challenger sailed 69,000 miles across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, taking temperature measurements at several depths at each of 300 sites. Today’s researchers from the University of California, San Diego, compared Challenger’s temperature readings with data from the Argo project, which uses 3,500 floats to measure the temperature and salinity of the oceans every 10 days. The team found a 1.1 degree Fahrenheit (0.59-degree Celsius) increase in the surface temperature of the oceans over the last 135 years. Comparison of subsurface temperature differences between Challenger and Argo had to be corrected for several errors in the Challenger data. For example, the vessel’s scientists didn’t measure the depth of their thermometers directly, but had to rely on the length of the lines lowering the thermometers into the water. They had no way to ensure that the lines were vertical, so the actual depth was a little less than the length of the line, and because temperatures at shallower depths are usually warmer than temperatures at deeper depths, the Challenger readings were therefore a little warmer than they should have been. After correcting for this error and others, the research team found that global ocean temperatures increased by an average of 0.59 degrees F (0.33 degrees C) in the upper ocean down to about 2,300 feet (700 meters). This temperature change is twice that observed over the past 50 years, which suggests that the oceans have been warming for many decades.

U.S. records warmest March; more than 15,000 warm temperature records broken

climateyou — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:56:03 +0000

NOAA scientists have reported that March 2012 was the warmest on record for the contiguous United States, dating back to 1895 (click here to see an interesting animation displaying the record temperatures). The average temperature for the month was 51.1 °F, 8.6 °F above the 20th century March average. Only 1 other month, January 2006, has experienced a larger departure from its average. According to preliminary data, March saw over 15,000 warm temperature records broken across the contiguous United States, and every state experienced at least one record warm daily temperature. There were also 21 instances when the overnight lows were as warm or warmer than the previous record highs for those particular locations. March 2012 was the warmest on record for 25 states, while ranking in the top 10 for an additional 15 states. The same persistent pattern resulted in cooler-than-average conditions in the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest and Southern Plains were much wetter than average while the interior West, Northeast and Florida were drier than average, although the nationally-averaged precipitation total was slightly above average. According to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center, there were 223 preliminary tornado reports during March 2012, as compared to the typical average of 80. The March 2-3 outbreak across the Ohio Valley and Southeast caused 40 fatalities and an estimated $1.5 billion in damage.

The aggregated January-March average temperature for the contiguous United States (42.0 °F) was also a record, 6.0 °F above the long-term average. January-March 2012 was the warmest on record for the 25 states east of the Rockies and ranked in the top 10 warmest for an additional 16 states. No state in the contiguous United States experienced three-month temperatures below average. Nationally-averaged precipitation for the three-month period was slightly below average, with wetter than average conditions prevailing across the Pacific Northwest and Southern Plains and drier than average conditions in the Intermountain West, Ohio Valley and the east coast.

The nationally-averaged temperature for the six-month period defined as the cold season (October 2011-March 2012) was 3.8 °F above average, the second-warmest on record for the contiguous United States. The previous 12-month period (April 2011-March 2012) was the warmest on record at 55.4 °F, 2.6 °F above the 20th century average.

Gary Monitz

Carbon dioxide super-scrubber? Potential good news in global warming fight.

climateyou — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:41:08 +0000

Carbon capture is a process that removes CO2 from the air. it’s a way to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions in the air other than by using less fossil fuels. The process is controversial, and there’s not much buzz about carbon capture. It’s expensive with current technologies. Critics say deploying capture could delay weaning economies from fossil fuels. And, the scrubbed CO2 must be sequestered (stored) for hundreds to thousands of years. Advocates argue that CO2 emissions will continue, so some way to scrub them from the air is needed keep temperatures from rising further.A team from the Lokar Hydrocarbon Research Institute in California is developing a new material to recover CO2 from the air. It wants both to combat global warming and to reuse the CO2 it captures as a replacement for oil and gas in making plastics and fertilizers. The team combines methanol, a polyethylene-like plastic, and a fine-grained sand to produce a solid that absorbs CO2 at room temperature and releases it at 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Large scale capture of CO2 from the air awaits further development, but the new material could be used now in niche applications such as scrubbing CO2 from the air in submarines or spacecraft, or in fuel cells and large batteries.

Top 5 nations that use renewable energy

climateyou — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:33:34 +0000

Worldwide use of solar, wind, tidal and geothermal energy increased 15.5% in 2011, but together they still represent only 1.3 % of the world’s total energy use. The factors behind the increase include adoption by some countries of enlightened policies, and enhanced private investment. Also, some countries are committing to reducing their environmental impact and their dependence on foreign energy sources. Do you know which countries use the most renewable energy? Click on this link and be prepared for a few surprises. GR

Climate change report: time to start preparing for the worst

climateyou — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:29:06 +0000

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Fhange (IPCC) recently issued a 582 page report on what is known about the impact that global warming could have on nine different extreme-weather events. The report explores ways to reduce the risk to people and property from weather extremes. It focusses on helping communities adapt to long-term global warming. It signals a major change in the thinking about adaptation to climate change. Avoided as recently as a decade ago, adaptation no longer is seen merely as diverting attention from emission reduction. Researchers now know that even if CO2 emissions were to cease today, climate warming would continue because CO2 remains in the atmosphere for centuries.

Identifying the impacts of extreme weather on the climate is challenging, but scientists have begun the process over the past 60 years of collecting consistent, high quality observations over long periods of time and broad spatial coverage. The confidence levels are highest for trends in extreme temperatures; lower for extreme precipitation. Many of the approaches communities and countries can take are “low regrets measures,” which will provide significant benefits whatever underlies extreme-weather events. The cost of such events has been rising. Between 1970 and 1989, losses from all types of disasters averaged $5 billion a year globally. Since 1989, the average is $30 billion. Last year, it was $35 billion just in the U.S. Globally, losses from severe weather were $61 billion. Not all, or even most, of the increase is due to global warming; other factors include rapid population growth, increased wealth in vulnerable areas, and failure to take appropriate adaptive measures.

An eye on the sky for Texas

climateyou — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:08:22 +0000

Thanks to its most intense drought in state history, John Nielsen-Gammon is well known in Texas. Outside of Texas, few people know that he is the state climatologist. Or that 48 states have state climatologists; only Rhode Island and Tennessee do not. And very few people know that they have their own professional organization, the American Association of State Climatologists. Dr. Nielsen-Gammon has held his post for more than 10 years; he devotes about 60% of his time to it, up from 10% before the drought. A professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M, his state duties and his teaching schedule leave him little time for his own research. He responds to the skeptics he occasionally meets that global temperatures are rising, greenhouse gases are driving the trend, and if the trend continues there will be serious consequences. Dr. Nielsen-Gammon plans to stay in his job a few more years to continue raising awareness about climate issues.

Transit use rose 2.31 percent in 2011

climateyou — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:25:11 +0000

A 2.3% rise in public transportation ridership may not seem like much, but it is significant because most people can’t easily change their behavior when gasoline prices rise. More expensive gas at the pump is probably responsible for some of the increase in mass transit ridership. More riders can create a virtuous circle. Fuller buses generate more revenue, which can lead to better service or lower fares. Admittedly, too many more riders could create overcrowding at rush hours. However, in most American cities greater mass transit usage is a win-win.

Island nation of Kiribati contemplates move to Fiji

climateyou — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:49:42 +0000

Professional movers, who transfer companies from one office to another, say that there are long moves and short moves, but no small moves. Kiribati, a Pacific nation that consists of several low-lying atolls, is thinking of undertaking what would be a very large move. It plans to buy about 6,000 acres of land on Fiji’s main island, and, if climate change makes it necessary, resettle Kiribati’s entire population there, some 100,00 people. Although the sea level has risen only slightly so far, already sea water has contaminated Kiribati’s underground fresh water. Changing rainfall, tidal, and storm patterns pose as much threat as rising sea levels. Some alternative options, such as a floating island, are considered too expensive, although building sea walls to reinforce a few islands may ensure that Kiribati at least continues to exist.